The Kingdom of Urartu came into existence in the 13th Century BCE. It was formed by a collection of tribes and countries as political-military network that inhabited the area around Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands, North of the Mesopotamian region. Its capital was Tushpa-Van, a city protected by the citadel of Van, on the east coast of Lake Van. The three most important cities to the kingdom, besides Tushpa-Van, were Erebuni, Argishtihinili, and Musasir. Archaeological data from this region is sparse and most of its history has been gathered from Ancient Assyrian artifacts. For this reason, the most detailed history of the Kingdom of Urartu covers the period in which Urartu and Assyria clashed for dominance in the 9th and 8th centuries BCE. The Kingdom of Urartu fell in the early 6th century BCE.